Peru State College

What Peru State College does

Peru State College is a public institution of higher education founded in 1867 in Peru, Nebraska, operating as the state's first college and a member of the Nebraska State College System. The institution serves approximately 1,200 students through three academic divisions — the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Education (CAEP-accredited), and the School of Professional Studies — offering undergraduate, graduate, and online degree programs. Students are drawn from Nebraska, 21+ U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and multiple international countries including Ghana, Belgium, Dominican Republic, France, Guatemala, Mexico, Slovenia, and Portugal. Specialized pathway programs include the Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) in partnership with UNMC and the Rural Law Opportunities Program (RLOP).

The college operates a standard higher-education technology stack centered on Canvas LMS for course delivery, myPSC student portal, Stellic for academic planning and degree audits, Pharos 360 for student engagement, Handshake for career services, and Zoom for virtual sessions. It participates in Transferology for transfer credit evaluation and maintains formal transfer articulation agreements with nine Nebraska community colleges plus Iowa Western Community College. Distribution is multi-modal: on-campus instruction at the Peru, Nebraska campus, fully online delivery via Peru State Online, dual enrollment through Peru First for high school students, and statewide adult learner re-entry through ReEngage Nebraska.

Revenue is generated through tuition, required fees, housing, and food services, supplemented by Nebraska state appropriations as a public state college. Tuition is flat at $3,120/semester for on-campus students regardless of residency, with online undergraduate tuition at $4,032/semester and graduate tuition at $3,816/semester. The college's go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer recruitment (admissions applications, campus visits, virtual orientation), event-driven engagement (Bobcat Bound Bash, homecoming), and community-led transfer pipelines. Leadership transitioned in late 2024 with Dr. Wendy Waugh appointed Interim President following Dr. Michael Evans' retirement, with the institution simultaneously pursuing Project ROAR infrastructure and student wellness investments.

Name

Peru State College

Legal name

Peru State College

Website

https://peru.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1867

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Peru State College is Nebraska's first public college (est. 1867), serving ~1,200 students through undergraduate, graduate, and online programs across three academic schools under the Nebraska State College System.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate degree programs
• Online college degrees
• Public state college

Headquarters

HQ city

Peru

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Tuition: Peru State College generates primary revenue from undergraduate tuition charged per semester. Resident and non-resident students pay the same tuition rate of $3,120 per semester ($6,240 annual) for on-campus programs.
2. Graduate Tuition: Graduate programs charge $3,816 per semester ($7,632 annual) for tuition.
3. Online Program Tuition: Online undergraduate programs charge $4,032 per semester ($8,064 annual), higher than on-campus rates.
4. Housing and Food: On-campus housing generates $2,944 per semester and food services generate $2,784 per semester in revenue.
5. Required Fees: Students pay required fees of $1,380 per semester ($2,760 annual) in addition to tuition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Peru State College is a public institution of higher education delivering undergraduate and graduate degree programs through on-campus instruction in Peru, Nebraska and fully online programs via Peru State Online. Offerings span three academic schools (Arts & Sciences, Education, Professional Studies), with specialized career pathway programs including the Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) with UNMC and the Rural Law Opportunities Program (RLOP), plus dual enrollment and adult learner initiatives.

Product overview

Peru State College is a public higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of undergraduate and graduate degree programs primarily delivered through three academic divisions: the School of Arts and Sciences (covering humanities, sciences, and pre-professional tracks), the School of Education (CAEP-accredited educator preparation), and the School of Professional Studies (business, healthcare, and public administration). The institution provides multiple delivery modalities including traditional on-campus instruction, Peru State Online for remote learners, and the Peru First dual enrollment program for high school students. Specialized offerings include the Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) in partnership with UNMC, the Rural Law Opportunities Program (RLOP), and ReEngage Nebraska for adult learners. Students access academic resources through Canvas LMS and Stellic for degree planning, while career services are provided via Handshake. The college serves approximately 1,200 students and has been operating since 1867 as Nebraska's first college.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs Bachelor's degree programs across multiple disciplines including business, education, sciences, liberal arts, and pre-professional tracks such as pre-medical, pre-nursing, and pre-pharmacy. Delivered on-campus in Peru, Nebraska to first-time freshmen and transfer students.
• Graduate Degree Programs Graduate degree offerings including Master of Science in Education, Master of Science in Organizational Management (with specializations in Entrepreneurial and Economic Development, Healthcare Administration, Strategic Leadership and Communication), and Master of Arts in Teaching. Targeted at working professionals.
• Peru State Online Online degree programs allowing students to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees remotely through asynchronous course delivery and flexible scheduling options. Priced at $4,032/semester for undergraduate.
• Peru First Dual Enrollment Program Dual enrollment program enabling high school students to earn college credits while completing their secondary education, providing early college exposure and accelerated degree completion pathways.
• Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) Partnership program with University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) preparing rural students for healthcare careers through focused academic preparation and pathway programs. Students are selected into the program and complete coordinated pre-health coursework at Peru State.
• Rural Law Opportunities Program (RLOP)

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of freshmen awarded financial aid and grants
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeru State College RHOP (Rural Health Opportunities Program) is a partnership with UNMC that prepares rural students for healthcare careers. Students are selected for the program and prepare for healthcare professions through this coordinated pathway.
• Nebraska State College SystemcoreOthersPeru State College is a proud member of the Nebraska State College System, which oversees the state's three colleges.
• Central Community CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransfer guide partnership showing how Central Community College courses transfer to Peru State College toward bachelor's degree requirements.
• Southeast Community CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransfer guide partnership showing how Southeast Community College courses transfer to Peru State College toward bachelor's degree requirements.
• Northeast Community CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransfer guide partnership showing how Northeast Community College courses transfer to Peru State College toward bachelor's degree requirements.
• Metropolitan Community CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransfer guide partnership showing how Metropolitan Community College courses transfer to Peru State College toward bachelor's degree requirements.
• Iowa Western Community CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransfer guide partnership for regional out-of-state community college showing course equivalencies toward Peru State degrees.
• ReEngage NebraskamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide initiative for adult learners in which Peru State College participates to create new pathways for returning adult students.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Western Governors University: Large nonprofit online-only university operating in a similar tuition band to Peru State Online. Direct competitor for online undergraduate and graduate enrollment in career-aligned fields such as business, education, and healthcare administration.
• Southern New Hampshire University: Major online-focused university with extensive undergraduate and graduate online programs at comparable price points. Directly comparable as competitor to Peru State Online for non-traditional, adult, and transfer learners nationwide.

Regional players

• Emporia State University: Another Kansas public regional university with similar enrollment size and rural/non-metropolitan student base. Comparable undergraduate and graduate offerings, especially strong in teacher education like Peru State.
• Black Hills State University: Small public regional university in western South Dakota serving a rural geographic footprint analogous to Peru State. Comparable size, mission, and reliance on regional transfer and traditional enrollment pipelines.
• Fort Hays State University: Small public regional university in Kansas serving a similar rural Midwestern population with comparable undergraduate programs and a large online footprint (FHSU Online). Operates outside Nebraska but is highly analogous in mission, scale, and online strategy.
• Missouri Western State University: Small public regional university in northwest Missouri with a rural, transfer-friendly student base. Similar program mix across arts, education, and professional studies and overlapping competition for online learners.

Direct peers

• Wayne State College: Sister institution in the Nebraska State College System offering comparable small public state college programs in rural Nebraska. Directly comparable in scale, mission, governance structure, and student demographic mix.
• Chadron State College: Third member of the Nebraska State College System, operating a small public state college in northwest Nebraska. Highly comparable in enrollment size, rural setting, transfer pipeline, and program mix across arts, education, and professional studies.

Broad incumbents

• University of Nebraska–Lincoln: Nebraska's flagship public research university that competes for in-state students but offers substantially broader programs and stronger brand—capturing some Nebraska-bound enrollment that might otherwise reach Peru State.
• University of Nebraska at Kearney: Larger regional public Nebraska university serving central Nebraska with broader program offerings and stronger research footprint. Comparable as a public regional institution drawing non-metropolitan Nebraska students, though at meaningfully larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/perucom
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@PeruState
• Facebookfacebook.com/136669880490
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peru-state-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/perustate

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Peru State College